With their acrobatic maneuvers and feisty chattering, squirrels often inspire smiles and laughter. But for gardeners who find beds dug up and tomatoes chewed, these bushy tailed critters aren’t a source of anything except frustration and a fervent desire to figure out ways of keeping squirrels out of the garden.

When a deer or rabbit visits your garden, it’s tough to miss the nibbled leaves, chewed shoots, and missing plants. Voles, on the other hand, can be harder to identify — but just as destructive. Before you begin laying plans for keeping voles out of the garden, you want be sure that voles are the culprits.

Forget the fact that rabbits are soft, fuzzy, and cute. These critters can be one of a gardener’s most despised pests, wiping out entire crops overnight. Rabbits prefer young, tender shoots and are particularly fond of lettuce, beans, and broccoli.

In spring and summer, deer tend to feed heaviest, because pregnant and nursing does and antler-growing bucks must fuel their seasonal life stages — and those seasons, of course, are when you most need a plan for keeping deer out of the garden.